May 2021
Blog Posts
- Alone in My Car (on Digital Minimalism)
- Time to Get Serious About the Next Phase (of My Life)
- Loving the Crafty Side of My Network (on preferring to read about the lifelong learning pursuits of my personal network rather than anything to do with their actual work because it’s what they do outside of work that you learn more about them as a person)
- Rethinking Activate Learning Solutions (I put this business to sleep. RIP)
- Remember the Days When People Commented on Blog Posts?
- Bring the Outside in With Creative Flair (on my need to be way more creative than I am now)
- A New Skill to Add to My Repertoire (on adding Sewing as a new skill to take me on 2021 and beyond)
- Exploring Your Local Area (on getting out there back in your community. Leave the bloody social media and people you’ll never meet to ones you will, in your neighbourhood)
- My Top Ten Learning Tools for 2021 (some new ones on the list)
- Transcendental Meditation and David Lynch
- What’s Your Guide to Happiness?
- On Travelling By Yourself (on the value of solo travels)
- Goethe Quotes to Live By
- Lockdown….Again (getting angry now)
- Saying No
Videos
Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to Happiness
Nat’s What I Reckon Uncook Yourself Book Review
Goethe’s Maxims and Reflections
Sliver by Ira Levin
Challenges I’m Undertaking This Month
Today’s challenge is to join the body and two sleeves so that I can knit up this yoke with owls on it. I’ve really enjoyed this project. My first bottom up seamless knit learning new techniques to improve my knitting. Can’t wait to wear this. pic.twitter.com/bdhO7WvPoT
— Helen Blunden #AlwaysBeLearning ????? (@ActivateLearn) May 29, 2021
I ordered this yummy soft luxurious fibre from Liz Green Arts which came last night. I’m attempting to relearn hand spinning using the drop spindle but I need to practice more before I spin this and make my yarn to make some handwarmers or a beanie. #alwaysbelearning pic.twitter.com/mNbi4QXQVm
— Helen Blunden #AlwaysBeLearning ????? (@ActivateLearn) May 17, 2021
Books I’m Reading This Month
The Great Southern land about the Dutch explorers to Australia in the 17th century.
Also a book called We Germans by Alexander Starritt giving a harrowing and a “realistic novel of German soldiers on the Eastern Front raiding the fundamental questions of individual and collective guilt.”
Lastly, the Bed of Procrusted by Nicholas Nassim Talen which frankly, is bril
Places I Discovered This Month
Oh we discovered a new bottle-o selling a range of different beers. Long line of fridges filled with boutique beers. Naturally we got chatting with the owner to find out they have beer tastings on Fridays between 4pm-6pm. Guess where I’ll be on Fridays at 4pm to 6pm. New bottle-o opened up in our suburb with a HUGE range of beers. Lots of chocolate ones for me to try out…? pic.twitter.com/ZvS2sslxgH
Discovered a local French speaking group who meet at a nearby cafe every Thursday and Friday so now I have a new group of people to meet up with. All retired and all who love the French language and culture. I’m enjoying meeting new people and chatting in French. Or, I think I am anyway. Ah oui, tu crois? While the rest of Melbourne getting ready for lockdown, I’m with my local French new friends practicing these guttural sounds. It’s not pretty here. ? pic.twitter.com/yW5bcI6QGa
Things I Have Discovered This Month
I’ve never wanted an egg coddler so bad. I saw them in the show, Escape to the Chateau and now I HAVE to find these as I’ve never seen them before in my life. I think these are quaint and first saw them in Escape to the Chateau. I've never seen one in my life but feel as if they need to be in my life. It's called an egg coddler by Worcester. You put your egg in it, close the lid then boil in water. Now, to find them. pic.twitter.com/JdfygWtaZR
I decided to go for a walk in Hampton (a suburb nearby that I’ve never been to before). Imagine my surprise with a rich history of World War I battles on street signs and community spaces. It also has a country village vibe with lots of cafes, crafty places (ceramic cafe and sewing studios) so guess which suburb is now my favourite suburb…. Street signs in Hampton seem to be of famous battles. pic.twitter.com/oxRwJUgrMJ
Drinking tea from this antique Japanese tea set in-between Teams meetings. I wonder if it’s worth anything?? My mum bought this Japanese porcelain tea set back in the late 60s. It’s never been used (she gave me the entire set) so today in 2021, I am using it to have my cup of tea at work. I may as well make use of these things. The tea cups were too tiny. Something different I guess. pic.twitter.com/diXkPdBGxS
I’ve been wearing my father’s tweed jacket he bought in Belfast in 1967. I found it in a box in a cupboard at my parents. Out it came, it was dry cleaned and now pride of place in my wardrobe. I think I look pretty good in it if I do say so myself. ?
White crisp shirt, black skinnys, black biker boots with buckles and this jacket. Pretty cool. I’m determined to look hip as I enter my mid-50s and beyond. Found my father’s tweed jacket stashed away in a cupboard he got in 1968. Got it dry cleaned & sewed up buttons so now looking at ways to wear it tomorrow. A couple of ideas here ? I think though, I’ll wear it with white tee, grey hoodie, jeans and pair of adidas sneakers. pic.twitter.com/ILoA9Ph6R4
Trying my hand with a drop spindle and hand spinning. I do not have a sleight hand and I’m way too heavy handed and impatient. Trying my hand again at learning the drop spindle for some yarn spinning. Thanks YouTube. Trying to make it as even as possible. pic.twitter.com/DFLiqxprTS Mum has given me homework from her sewing repair tutoring last Saturday. I have to practice hand sewing to learn how to hem pants. I have to make invisible stitches not to go through the other side (it would look ridiculous if you can see stitches). This is a fail. Argh. HARD! pic.twitter.com/Xk2L2KiW3v Here they are. I knitted little squares and covered some buttons I had lying around. First time I’ve ever done this. Oh well, not perfect but time to sew them up on my garment! pic.twitter.com/s6taz2f3p1 Lesson 1: Done! Today I learned to shorten trouser and jeans hems using old fashioned approaches (no iron on hem tape). Learned to pin, sew and then practised doing two ways of invisible stitches so they don’t go thru fabric. I’ve got homework to do too. ☹️ pic.twitter.com/bv2XyCUUhi
Really happy with my knitting project this month. This little angora cardigan was finished and I fell in love with it. I’ll be wearing it with my ultra wide pant jeans, red pointy flat loafers and a red beret. Yay! Just finished the bands around the front. First time ever I have worked with angora and done lace work and bobbles! Now another new thing, knitting the buttons too. Nearly finished, can’t wait to wear this!!! ? pic.twitter.com/68yzU4kFKS
Bringing home detritus from the park In an effort to make it into wall art and hiding it from my husband so he doesn’t put them into the green bin…..
